Whether you love hiking, camping or getting out on the water, there are so many incredible UK adventures to try! As a brit, I feel so lucky to live in a country with such a variety of adventurous things to do.
Here in the UK, we have 15 national parks, a huge network of national cycle routes and enough hiking routes to last a lifetime – all surrounded by a beautiful coastline. Ready to get outdoors and explore what the UK has to offer? This epic list of UK Adventures is the best place to start!
10 Uk Adventures To Get You Started:
1. Hike in the Lake District, where you can explore beautiful mountains and valleys, and take in breathtaking views. Why not try the Fairfield Horseshoe or Helvellyn Ridge
2. Wild camp in Scotland. Escape the ‘every day’ and explore the rugged wilderness and experience the true beauty of the Scottish countryside. Check out visit Scotland to get your planning started.
3. Rock climb in Wales. Visit Snowdonia, the sea cliffs of Gogarth, Pembroke or The Gower.
4. Kayak or canoe in the Norfolk Broads, where you can explore the picturesque waterways and spot some of the UK’s unique wildlife.
5. Cycle in the Peak District. There are lots of great routes to try, such as Ashbourne Circuit or for more of a challenge the Tour de Peak District.
6. Go Climbing in the Yorkshire Dales. Why not try Pen-y-Ghent, High Stoney Bank or Gordale Scar?
7. Hike in Snowdonia, where you can explore the rugged mountains and take in the stunning views of the Welsh countryside.
8. Cycle the Causeway Coast Cycle Route for 23 miles of dramatic Atlantic coast views.
9. Go Surfing in Cornwall. There are lots of great beaches to try such as Fistral Beach in Newquay, or Porthtowan beach.
10. Sea kayak in the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park and drift past seals and porpoises.
UK Adventures To Discover Unique Wildlife:
11. Go birdwatching in the Norfolk Broads, where you can spot some of the UK’s unique birds such as the Bittern and Marsh Harrier.
12. Visit the New Forest to spot the wild New Forest Ponies.
13. Go seal watching in the Farne Islands to see a wide variety of seal species such as the Grey seal and the Common seal.
14. Try dolphin watching in Cardigan Bay. Here you can spot common dolphins, bottlenose dolphins and Risso’s dolphins.
15. Go otter-watching in the Scottish Highlands.
17. Go deer watching in the Cairngorms. Try to see red deer, roe deer, and sika deer.
18. Go whale watching in the Hebrides. Be on the lookout for minke whales, humpback whales, and orcas.
19. Go butterfly-watching in the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, where you can spot some of the UK’s rarest butterflies.
20. Try and spot a badger in Dorset. Badger watch Dorset has set up to specially hides, giving you a great chance to see these lovely critters.
Books to Inspire your Next Adventure
If like me you love to read, check out the below books for an extra dose of inspiration for your adventure!
Amazing Ideas For UK Hiking Adventures:
21. Take on the Three Peaks Challenge, where you can hike the highest peaks of England, Wales, and Scotland in one day.
22. Hike the Hadrian’s Wall Path. Enjoy the historic Roman wall and take in the stunning views of the Northumberland countryside.
23. Explore the coastline of Devon and Cornwall on the South West Coast Path.
24. Hike the Pennine Way.
25. Take in the amazing views of the Scottish highlands on the West Highland Way.
26. Ramble through picturesque countryside on the Cotswold Way.
27. Try the Coast to Coast Walk, where you can hike across the country from the west coast to the east coast.
28. Hike through the rolling hills and ancient woodlands of Kent and Surrey on the North Downs Way.
29. Go hiking in the Brecon Beacons National Park. Why not try the Pen Y Fan Horseshoe or The Beacons Way?
30. Walk The Quiraing on the Isle of Skye. A two-mile hike to a truly dramatic peak.
Best Bike Rides And Cycling Adventures
31. Explore the C2C Cycle Route. This 137-mile journey runs between the North Sea and the Irish Sea.
32. Cycle the Tarka Trail, a 180-mile route through stunning North Devon.
33. Cycle on the Way of the Roses, where you can cycle from Morecambe to Bridlington.
34. You can explore the UK’s network of traffic-free bike paths on one of the fantastic Sustrans National Cycle Network routes.
35. Cycle the Hadrian’s Cycleway for a 170-mile journey into Britain’s past!
36. Cycle the National Cycle Network Route 1. This Route stretches from Dover to the Highlands of Scotland. Just choose a section, or why not conquer the whole trail?
37. Go mountain biking in the Forest of Dean.
38. Explore King Alfred’s Way. This new route connects four existing national trails: the North Downs Way, South Downs Way, Ridgeway and Thames Path.
39. Take a bike ride in the New Forest. There are lots of fantastic cycle routes to try.
40. Tackle the bucket list Land’s End to John O’Groats cycle. Explore Great Britain from top to toe on this 1,042-mile adventure.
Amazing Water Adventures In The UK
41. Try white-water rafting at the National White Water Rafting Centre in Wales.
42. Head to the Isles of Scilly for some amazing kayaking or paddleboarding.
45. Go kitesurfing in the Outer Hebrides, where you’ll find the perfect wind and wave conditions.
46. Go stand-up paddleboarding (SUP) in Loch Lomond.
47. Go sailing in the Solent, where you can explore the beautiful coastline of Southern England.
49. Go wild swimming in the Lake District.
51. Sea Kayak around Old Harry Rocks in Dorset.
52. Go wild swimming in the River Wye, where you can swim in the picturesque river and take in the views of the countryside.
53. Try Coasteering at the Blue Lagoon in Pembrokeshire.
54. Canoe Hire on the River Wye.
55. Go Rockpooling at Wembury in south Devon.
Best Places To Go Camping In The UK:
56. Lake District: Great for beautiful mountains and valleys and stunning views of the lakes.
57. Scotland: best for rugged wilderness and experiencing the true beauty of the Scottish countryside.
58. New Forest: here you can camp in an ancient forest and spot the local wildlife.
59. Peak District: Camp in the beautiful rolling hills.
60. Pembrokeshire Coast National Park: Here you can camp by the sea and take in the epic views of the coastline.
61. Brecon Beacons National Park: You can camp in the beautiful mountains, and enjoy the plethora of cycle routes and walking paths.
62. Norfolk Broads: Here you can camp by the water and spot the local wildlife.
63. Snowdonia National Park: Camping is a great way to explore this beautiful national park, and hike to the top of Mount Snowdon!
64. Dartmoor National Park: Why not go hiking and camping around this incredible National Park? Explore the tors and the moors.
65. Isle of Mull: Escape to this beautiful Scottish island for wildlife, coastline and a peaceful escape.
Uk Adventures: Summary
Thank you for reading this post! If you would like even more UK adventure ideas why not give these blog posts a read:
GLAMPING IN WILTSHIRE: 2-DAY ITINERARY IN THE UK
CAMPING IN LLANBERIS: THE GATEWAY TO EXPLORING BEAUTIFUL MOUNT SNOWDON
PLACES TO STAY: HILLEND CAMPSITE, HEAVEN IN THE GOWER PENINSULA
For some added inspiration, have a look at this awesome UK Adventure Map.
I gave this map to my partner one year for valentines day to help us find plenty of inspiration for awesome adventures together.
The map has lots of inspiration for mountains to hike, beaches to visit, cycling routes to zoom down and the UK’s top 50 adventure locations.
I would love to hear about your epic Uk adventures! Do you have any suggestions to add to the list? Have you completed any of the above incredible UK Adventures? Write me a comment below, or connect with me on social media @begintoadventure.
Until next time, happy exploring!
Bex
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